SWEET16 — Sorghum bicolor

Summary

SORBI_3003G149000, designated SbSWEET16 on chromosome 3 of sorghum, encodes a SWEET-family protein with fructose uniporter, D-glucose transmembrane transporter and sucrose permease activities. It localises to the tonoplast, plasmalemma and membrane, and is associated with fructose export from vacuole to cytoplasm, phloem loading, nectar secretion, carbohydrate export and transport, and responses to fructose, glucose, sucrose, cold and nitrogen starvation. The gene has been linked to pigmentation, histogenesis, vascular and xylem development, secondary cell wall formation, root growth, germination, plant growth, growth efficiency, nitrogen use efficiency, freezing tolerance, and fructose content. Studies of related genes in other species connect the family to vacuolar sugar transport, leaf fructose content and vacuolar abscisic acid glucosyl ester transport.